Pneumatic mechanism for conveying and stacking food products



E. E. LAWRENCE AND K. D. LOOSE.

PNEUMATIC MECHANISM FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING FOOD PRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, 1920.

1 ,377, 1 36, v Patented May 3, 1921.

Edward E L awrenoe,

-KeiwneihllLo as e f yi l E. E. LAWRENCE'AND K. D. LOOSE. PNEUMATIC MECHANISM FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING FOOD PRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1920. 1,377,136, Patented May 3, 1921. I 4 SHEEIS-SHEET 2.

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E. E. LAWRENCE AND K. D. LOOSE.

NEUMATIC MECHANISM FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING FOOD PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- I, 1920.

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PNEUMATIC MECHANISM FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING FOOD PRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, .920.

1,377, 1 36. Patented May 3, 1921.

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. Improvement in Pneumatic UNITED STATES EDWARD E. LAWRENCE, or ,JAMAicA, AND KENNETH nLoosE, OF NEW YORK, 1v. Y,

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, AssIGNoRs -TO LOOSE WILES BISCUIT 'coMrANY, 01' NEW YORK, N; Y., A com aArroN on NEW YoaK.

. BN'EUMA'IIIC MECHANISM. FOR coNvEY'ING AND STACKINGQ ro'on 'PRODU To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD E. LAW- WRENCE and KENNETH; D. Loosn, citizens of counties, respectively, of Queens and New York, State of New York, ha've invented an Mechanism for Conveying and Stacking Food Products, of which the followingdescription, in connec-' tion with the accompanying drawings, is aspecifica'tion, like characters on the drawin s representing like parts. i

his invention relates to pneumatic mech-- anism for conveying and stacking articles,

the disclosed example of which is, foodproducts.

In order that the principles of the invention ma be readily understood, we' have disclose a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, ,wherein q Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main parts of a pneumatic conveying and stackin mechanismembodying the invention;

ig. 2 is a front-elevation of the. structure -shoyvn in Fig. 1;

-F1g. 3 is-a vert cal-longitudinal section taken through the structure represented in -Figs. 1 and 2;

through 3; and

Fig. 4 isa transverse section taken the structure represented in F1g.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken through the pneumatic drum or conveyxelr shown in Figs. 1 and e will'disclose our invention w1th,refer--.

. ence to the" conveying and stacking of food proposed products, without, vention thereto.

In a companion application, Serial No. 411,403, we have represented. wholly 'mechanical means for however, limiting our III-- conveying and for stacking articles, the represented type whereof is food products. The stacking mechanism proper represented in" this case is substanf tially that .shown and claimed in said com panion application. y

We are aware that heretofore ithas been to arrange or stack crackers :for packing, but so far as we are aware, no satisfactory apparatus for this purpose has been placed upon the market, although nu merous attemptshave been made to provide apparatus for this purpose. The 'deveyin 1920. Serial 'No. 414,034.

disk like form and particularly for crackers and like foodproducts is manifest, since sgwcificatioi of Letters'Patent. Pate t d Ma 3 1921;

Application filed October 1,

thelatter articles are now packed in small cartonsor receptacles usually of the width and depth of a cracker and of a length 'su'ffi-' clent to receive or accommodate a stack of substantial length. In satisfactorily stacka ing crackers or like food-product's, it is importantthatthey all face the same way,

. ,that is, that they be face to back, and. that the stacks oivrows of the assembled crackers I I be accurately a-rra-nged'and in face to back .relation, so-that a suflicient number to con.-

stitute a stack that willffill a single carton may be quickly taken by an operator or by suitable mechanism from a row in the concarton 'or receptacle.

appl cation, and accomplishes the desirable resultsthat we have above indicated. 7

Referringmore particularly to' the drawings, we hav'eat 1, 2, 4, 5' and 6 indicated 7 j a' framing preferably. in the nature of an elongated table-like structure partly .broken away in Figs- 1 and desirably adapted to support certain 'conveyer chains indicatedat 7 -in Fig.1, andby which filled pans 8 of crackers 9. or other like food products, or ifdesired articles of any nature-but desirably of a disk like form, may be conand stacking mechanism andbe inserted'with a minimum loss of time into the veyed from any suitable source. At 10, in

Figs. 1 and 3, we have represented the empty pans that have passed inoperative relation to the mechanism of our invention and from which the crackers or the like have, been removed pneumatically. Desirably the empty pans are returned in any suitable manner and not herein disclosed -.to'

the place where they are to be re filled. Within the scope of the invention'the 'ans may be' fed either from'the left or' rom the right viewing F ig.- 1 toward the pneumatic'mechanism herein disclosed. Viewing Fig. 3, it willbe observed that the filled pans 8 are conveyed by the-chains? along channel irons 10 directly beneath a rotating drum l lithat extends across the entire after set forth.

articles from the filled pans 8 and to cause them to cling tothe rotating surface of the drum 11 until released therefrom as herein- It has been found in -practice to be very desirable to agitate the crackersupon the pan 8 when beneath the drum ll. It has been found that such agitation very slightly separates or elevates the'crackers from the pan 8 or at least permits a slight film or layer of air to enter beneath the crackers, with the result that such agitated crackers are more readily responsive to the suction created at the surfaceof the drum 11. While for this purpose any suitable means may be provided, we have herein represented the following means.

pon a shaft 14 suitably supported in the framing are two cams 15 as pentagonal in shape. In the rotation of the said cams the points 16 and the fiat faces 17 alternately are brought into contact with the under face of a vertically movable frame 18 upon which the channel irons 10' rest beneath the drum 11' with the result that at such point the channel irons, conveyer chains and the filled pans are sharply agitated so as to render the contents of said pans more susceptible to the suction existing at the surface of the drum 11. Desirably the agiv tation is in such a direction as slightly to lift the crackers or other articles, but within the scope of the invention agitation in an suitable direction may be resorted to for the purpose stated, as, for example, in a transverse direction. I p

The frame 18 is supported by a suitable number of upright rods or posts-19, prefertween said part of tion of the coiled ably four, which through openings and therebeneath coiled springs 21 at their lower ends pass in'parts 20 of the'frame are surrounded by strong that are compressed bethe framing and nuts and washers 22 upon the lower ends of said posts or rods, the constructiomand"arrangement being such that the frame l8 is intermittently and rapidly vibrated against the acsprings 21, the latter servmg to return the frame 18 to its lower or normal position.

The shaft 14 may be rotated in ahysuitable manner. For the purpose we have represented it'a'sprovided with a sprocket 23 about which passes a sprocket-chain 24, also passing about sprockets 25, 26-uponjshafts 27, 28 suitably supported in the framing.

'erally at 29 in Fig.

. chosen to herein represented the drum that is connected as 13, Figs. 2 and 5, with the fan or blower.

' crackers The sprocket chain 24 is endless and is driven 111 any .suitable manner not herein necessary fully to disclose, but if desired from a variable speed device indicated en- 1, and desirably driven as by a belt from an electric motor, not herein shown. The'construction and relation of parts are such that through the said variable speed device any desired rate of speed may be imparted to the sprocket 51 and hence to" the sprocket chain 50 thereby.

The shaft 14 is mounted in vertical, adjustable bearings, and to that end the sprocket chain 24is so constructed and arand the parts driven ranged as to permit of such adjustment of the shaft. In order to adjust the shaft 14 in a vertical direction, we have {herein a hand wheel 30.

shaft Upon said We provide fiber cams or eccentrics 31, upon each of which rests a member 32 constituing a,lower rolongation of a bearing 32. for said shaft. S aid members 32 may be supported wholly upon said cams or eccentrics 31 or, if desired, we may provide said members with vertical slots to receive bolts tapped into the framing and carrying nuts to be slackened when it is desired to adjust theshaft 14 by the cams or eccentrics 31. The shaft 14 is adapted to be held in the desired positionof rotative adjustment by ratchet and pawl 32".

We provide for vertically adjusting. the shaft 14 in order to permit the pans to be shaken harder or more gently as desired and also to permit the said pans' to be, brought closer to orkept from the drum 11 according as the biscuits, crackers or other articles thereon are thin or thick.

um 11 may be of any suitable with as to insure. a substantially even suction action at the surface throughout the entire lengththereof. N ormally the suction is greatest at that end of at the conduit It is of great importance and particularly Where the crackers or other articles are to be of the drum provide a shaft 30 adapted to be i delivered from the drum in a comparatively large number of rows,- each consisting of articles arranged edgewise, that there be a substantially uniform suction action throughout the length of the drum so that the .or other articles may be delivered into the several rows at a rate approaching uniformity. After much experimentation, we have provided the following mechanism interiorily supported with respect to the drum 11 and also constituting means whereby the suction'is cut off at succeslve portions if of the surface of the'drum when saidisuccessive portions reach a position where the crackers are to be dropped or otherwise discharged intothe several rows above referred to.

' A shaft or cross member 33 is stationarily mounted in any suitable manner and as. for example at one. end rin a suitable upright '34: extending to the floor 35, and at the other end as shownin. Fig; 5 in.the

hub 36 of a spider 3?, the ringor annular member 38 whereof is supported uponlthe conduit "'13 extending as stated from the framing 39 of the blower. The shaft 33 is preferably hollow to permit oiling of vari-. ous parts/of theimechanism, .The drum 11 is itself mounted to rotate upon or about the stationary shaft 3.3 and for that purpose it 'is provided with an outer closed end 40 having a hub 41 through which the stationary shaft 33 passes.. Thehub 41 is supported upon 'a suitable part 42 of the shaft 18 having e 49 about which passes-a sprocket chain 50 30. driven by sprocket pinion 51- upon the shaft framing and" at its outer end is provided with a gear wheel A3 meshing with and driven by a pinion 44: upon a shaft 45, having fast thereon a gear wheel 46, itself meshing with and driven by a pinion 4:7 upon'a fast therewith a sprocket 52 of the variabl e speed device 29. I t

At its opposite or left hand endviewing Fig. 5, the drum 11 is provided with a ring 53 desirably beveled as indicated and rotating. againstthe inner correspondingly beveled face of the stationary ring 38.

The construction and arrangement are- 1 such that. the drum 11 is rotated at a suitable speed and conveys the crackers or other articles from a filled pan directly beneath the same and 1n contra clockwise direction viewing Fig. 3,. to the upper endsjof the chutes hereinafter described. Fast upon the stationary shaft 33 are a suitable number of spider like'member's' 54,

three "ofwhich are represented in Fig. 5.

. Desirably thesesaidmembers are of a somewhat segmental form and are 'repre- I .sented in Fig.- 3 as ,having'three radiating arms 55, extending from'hubs 56 to seg- 'ments 57 here shown as extending through substantially. 1 80Jdegrees. Upon the said segments 57 is supported a stationary baflle drum 58 which substantially of the length of the drum" 11 and throughout about 180 degrees of its own surface is incontact with .the inner'surface of the drum. 11 as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.. Thesaid baflie drum 58 is at one part provided with a substantially radial portion 59 of the full length of said -.bafiiedrum and extending inwardly at certain ofthe radial arms 55 a sufficient dis tance where. it merges into a spiral surface 60 which, as represented in 3, gradually' approaches the inner surface of. the

drum 11 and finally merges into the surface 58 at the full diameter ofthe said baflie drum.

' Becaus'e of' the described construction there ismore static pressure or suction at or in the vlclnity of'the radlal portion 59 than at'thesucceeding parts, such static pressure or suction gradually decreasing as the point is approached where the surface 60 merges with the surface 58; i

The-surface of the said baffledrum composed of the surfaces-5 8,. 59, 60 is imperfo- 1 rate excepting for the provision of a certain number of openings, two of which are indicated at 61, 62 in Fig. 5. 9

Desirably and in that typ'e of the invention herein shownthere are provided four of the openings 61, 62, and between adjacent openings spiral or semi-crescent shaped partitions 63 are providedintegralwith or rigid with the surfaces59, 60, and filling at. in-

surface 60, and the inner face of the drum 11, it being understood that the said parti= tions are-relatively thin and occupy comparativelyj little space lengthwise of the. drum 11. The said partitions are provided merely to cut off communication between the several openings 61, 62, etc'., betw'eenthe spiral surface 60 and the inner surface of thedrum.11. '1

Desirably each of the openings 61, 62,

tervals theentire space between the spiral etc., is provided with a sliding damper-or member '64'mounted'in guides 65, 66 so that the relative ;areas of-the several openings surface of ing's. e1, 62,

j'ustable means, herein typified the dampers, 64;, whereby the areas of. the said openlngs may be relatively proportioned to ob.

tain the desired result, namely, substantial- -uniformity in the suction at the surface of 11 throughout the entire. length the drum thereof, 1 I

Viewing Figs 3 and 5,'it will be evident that the air is drawn through the openings 12-of thedrum 11 and through the several openings 61, .62,f'etc., and that as a consequence'the cracker-sorother articles 9 .109 61, 62, 'etc., may be'such as are found best will be drawn forcibly against the rotating.

surface. ofthe drum llliminediately to the 'Fig. 3 of the radial portion right viewin 59 of'the be e drum and will be held thereagainst in',the rotation of the drum 11 until the inner surface of the latter meets the surface 58 of the bafile drum, that'ds, along a longitudinal line of meeting ofthe surfaces 60, 58. At' and contraclockwlse, be yond said meeting line the suction is cut off ltween adjacent partitions. -represented a series of upper a :pers 77, 78, formed of sheet m from the surface'of the drum l1, and there- .fore the crackers or other articles are ,released so that they may be discharged in any suitable manner and preferably to permit them to be stacked. In order to effeet such stacking, to which, however, our inventionis in no wise limited, but which constitutes a peculiarly coiiperating feature 'Of this invention, we preferably provide sub- 1 number, and still .25

sented as sixteen.

stantially' .the construction of chutes and stacking means represented in our sald copending application Serial N o. 411,403, and

' construction is here shown in sufliwhich cient detail and will be described as follows:

To the left of the drum 11 viewing Figs. 1

and 3, there is provided a series of chutes formed by partitions 67 67 67 of full height as. represented most clearly in Fig.

at, intermediate partitions 68 here shown as six in number and .of lesser height than the partitions 67, and still other and intermediate partitions 69, here shownas eight in partitions 68. In. this or other suitable manner, we provide a number of chutes cor-" responding to the number ofrows of food productsthat are to be formed, herein repre- The said partitions '67, 68, 69 constitute the side members of the several chutes and the backingof the entire theinclinedrpart 72 and an part "proximity other articles slide down the inclined sur' tical part .71, an inclined art 72 merging ,thereinto, a vertical part.

upper inclined 74 merging into the vertical part 73, and at its free edge terminating in close to the rotating drum 11- and in such manner that the released crackers or face 7 4 between the several partitions 67 68,

, 69, and finally enter aseries of channels 75 represented 4 and being crackers or other articles may be supported edgewise in face to back relation.

The series of chutes is most clearly in section in Fig.

' The said flappers are so mounted as to yield under the impact of the descending crackers or other articles but co-act to cause the latter to descend substantially vertically.

but the fall thereof is broken or less in height thansthe 3- merging into I of general V shape so that the v preferably provided with yieldingfronts which cooperate 1n causing the crackers The partitions 67, 68, 69. are of different mg, clogging or wedging of the crackers orother articles in two adjacent chutes, as would likely occur if the lateral walls thereof were the same height. It is desirable and important that the crackers or other articles be positioned substantially vertical in their descent, or in a major or substantial part thereof, rather than'at an incline, so as to insure the falling thereof to one side or the other of the; proper partition. If the food products or other articles striks the top of the partition while descending at an incline, they are apt to lodge there, but when fed, as herein disclosed, they'do not lodge at the top of an incline. The downward movement of each cracker orother article is substantially uninterrupted and continuous Y eased by the flappers and successive action of the several series of flappers, the crackers or other articles are safely delivered in an edgewise vertical position to the stacking spirals and desirably singly. i I

"Any suitable means may be provided to ;feed the crackers or other articles along the channels 75. For that-"purpose we have herein represented spirals 81 each carried by a shaft 82 having fast thereon a-Initer by the bends or forwardly extending portions 74, 72, so that by the gear meshing with and driven by a series of miter gears 84:11POI1 the shaft 48 Thedescending crackers enter between the spires of the spirals and in the rotation of thelatter are fed along the channels 75.

It will be understood that the crackers or other articles are placed in any suitable manner upon the pans and mechanically or manually with the faces of the crackers all down or all up, so that when they are received at the stacking devices, they may be in face to back relation. Obviously, however, where the articles acted upon have no distinguished marks or characteristics upon either face or back, they may be placed upon the pans or other supports in a haphazard or promiscous manner.

It is of great im ortance that thecrackem or other articles e caused to adhere with substantial uniformity to the active surface of the drum 11, so that in-each of the several channels (75,-the rows of articles may be built up or formedat substantially the same rate. If the suction is not caused to act with substantial uniformity'throughout the longitudinal extent of the drum 11, it is evident that the rows of articles will be bu lt up or formed 'n various channels in an 1rregular or'une en manner. This interferes forward at 'a suitable rate with the efliciency with which the articles are removed from the channels either manually or'by mechanism. Although we have represented the filled pans as fed from the left, viewing Fig. 1, toward and under the drum 11, it will be understood that the articles of whatever nature may be fed in any desired manner and either from the rightor left viewing said figure toward the drum.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of our invention, we desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims:

1. Mechanism for conveying and stacking disk-like articles comprising a movable member, means to create suction at the surface thereof, means to stack the article-s edgewisein a series of rows, and means-cooperating with thesurface of said member whereby the articles are caused to adhere through suction to said surface substantially evenly throughout the active area of,said member, so that the articles are conveyed with substantial uniformity by the movable member to all of said rows.

2. Mechanism for conveying and stacking disk-like articles comprising a movable member, means to create suction at the surface of said member,- means beyond said member-to stack the articles edgewise in a series of parallel longitudinal rows, and means cooperating with said surface whereby the articles are caused to adhere through suction to said surface substantially evenly throughout the active area of said member, so that the articles are conveyed with substantial uniformity to all of said rows.,

3. Mechanism for conveying and stacking disk-like articles comprising a movable member, means to create suction at the surface of said member, means beyond said member to stack the articles edgewise in a series of parallel longitudinal rows, and a bafiie cooperatingwith said movable member and having means to effect the substantially even application of the suction throughout the longitudinal extent of said member, so that the articles are caused to adhere with substantial evenness throughout the longitudinal extent of said member and are conveyed with substantial uniformity to all of said rows.

4. Mechanism for conveying and stacking disk-like articles comprising a rotatable suction drum having a perforated surface,

means to create suction at, said surface,

means to stack the articles edgewise in a series of substantially parallel rows, and a baflie located within said member and having means to effect the substantial evenness of adhesion of the articles to the suction surface throughout the active area of said drum, so that the articles are conveyed with substantial uniformity to all of said rows.

tion 1n a series of rows, and battle means within said'drum having pIOVlSlOIlS to cause the articles t0 adhere through suction to the surface of the drum substantially evenly throughout the active area of said drum, so that the articles are conveyed with substantial uniformity stacking devices.

6. Mechanism for conveying and stacking articles comprising a movable member, means to create suction at the surface thereof, means to stack the articles in a series 0 rows, and means cooperating with the surface of said member, whereby the articles are caused to adhere through suction to said surface with substantial uniformity throughout the active area of said member, so that the said articles are conveyed with substantial uniformity by the said movable member to all of said rows.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

'08 all of said chutes and- 

